What can Succession can teach us about the craft of worldbuilding? By Ian Long Succession’s first episode begins with an elderly man stumbling out of bed in the middle of the night. “Where am I?” he mutters. “Where the fuck am I?” The light is so dim that we can hardly see the room he’s in, or anything in it. We can barely even see the man (“Where are we? A prison cell? A maze?” the script asks). The man is Logan Roy, owner of Waystar RoyCo, “the fifth largest global media and entertainment conglomerate in the world”. But we don’t know that yet. He could be any bewildered old man, stumbling in a fog of confusion, and we’re stumbling in the fog with him. There’s a liquid patter, and we realise that the man is urinating. A light comes on, and we see that the floor he’s fouling is thickly carpeted. A woman in a nightgown appears behind him. “It’s okay, Logan,” she says. “It’s okay. We’re in the new place.” Her manner suggests that she’s used to this kind of thing. She gently leads him away from the wet patch. It’s powerful, disorientating story-telling, and suggests that the series will take a very particular approach to the craft of narrative. Primed, I kept a lookout for further queasy moments - and outpourings of bodily fluids. Sure enough, roughly ten minutes later, Greg Hirsch, Logan’s hapless, bumbling great-nephew, who’s working as a costumed mascot in one of the family’s theme parks, unwisely smokes a joint before donning his costume. He gets dizzy when a child unexpectedly begins to climbs on him, and is unable to take off his over-sized plastic cartoon head before being violently unwell. Which brings forth the plaintive exclamation: “Eww! He’s puking out of his eyes!” The opening scene forces us to lean in to the story, to try and make sense of what we’re seeing. It’s a challenge – and a statement of intent. “If we’re going to show you something this intimate straight off the bat,” it seems to say, “you can see we won't flinch from any of this family’s deepest, darkest secrets. Wanna come along for the ride?” After this, every painful, cringe-worthy exchange, every eruption of the human interior into the outside world, makes good on this promise, and reinforces it. Logan’s youngest son Roman ejaculates on the window of his swanky high-rise office. His son-in-law Tom Wambsgans recounts how he has just ingested his own sperm from the mouth of a woman who’s fellated him. Logan’s other son Kendall bleeds from the nose after a lengthy cocaine binge and also defecates in his bed. Logan’s daughter, Shiv, very deliberately spits on Kendall’s notebook. Logan himself continues to mutter darkly about his inability to control his bladder, to urinate in inappropriate places, and to suppress the urge to vomit with difficulty. Succession’s creator Jesse Armstrong previously co-wrote Peep Show, a dark comedy which had more than its fair share of icky moments and often sailed close to ”gross-out” territory, so it’s obviously a bit of a personal signature. One American writer sees this mortification of characters as a specifically British brand of cynicism. But how does it refer to worldbuilding? When you’re trying to create a globally popular long-form TV show or an open-world computer game, you need to think carefully about the world where your story takes place. Is it interesting? Is it new, fresh, original? Is it big enough to contain a story that can last for many seasons, or be played multiple times? All stories need to create their own special worlds. It’s more obvious in fantasy-based genres like Science Fiction and Fantasy, and yes, there’s more scope – and probably more potential for things to go wrong – in these genres. But worldbuilding is still there in seemingly ‘realistic’ forms of fiction, albeit in subtle and understated ways, and it's worth exploring exactly how this works. In these kinds of stories, it’s all about emphasis - the things that storytellers decide to bring to the foreground, and the things they withhold. It’s partly a genre thing When writers are immersed in a genre, they may not think too much about its ‘rules’ – the fact that some things can happen, some things can’t happen, and some things can’t even exist in the world they’re creating. Perhaps they’ve internalised the rules so deeply that some psychological limiting effect kicks in which prevents transgression (although many stories might be more interesting if it didn’t - as we're seeing, Succession freely mixes a number of genres to produce its special narrative effects). While simulating reality, stories actually give us carefully tailored versions of the world that hide at least as many things as they show, and which generally conform to our existing ideas of ‘what happens in this kind of story’. It’s why real life can be so much stranger than fiction. Reality doesn’t need to respect genre rules, and will happily (or, in fact, obliviously) juxtapose the most incongruous things and events. People tend not to be horribly murdered or suffer disfiguring accidents in rom coms, for instance. Protagonists rarely suffer from terminal or chronic illnesses in action-adventure yarns. Children are rarely seen in noir or neo noir movies (but tend to be very much in the foreground when it comes to horror). There is plenty of violence in Succession, but none of it is physical - it all plays out verbally, emotionally, and in terms of this strange but marked focus on the characters' yucky and repellent side. This is clearly a conscious 'rule' governing the writing. Horror is the genre most associated with ick, yuck, eww, and things that make us cringe, all of which come under the general heading of “the abject”. Succession isn't a horror story, but abject imagery is written into it at a deep level. By delving into the abject, horror wants to remind us of the things that we ignore, reject and cover up just to get through the day and fit into civilised society. The rot, refuse, fluids and effluents which are inseparable from our lives as embodied beings, but which we don’t want to think about, if we can help it, mainly because they remind us of our mortality. So why does Succession have such a big yuck factor? One author singles out humiliation as the show’s core emotion, and it's true that the threat of it (usually at Logan’s hands) marbles the Roy family’s luxurious life like veins of mould in a blue cheese. Outbreaks of the abject tend to confer humiliation on those responsible, and some characters (Roman, Tom, Kendall), are so damaged that they seem to hunger for further degradation. Even more than humiliation, though, this story is themed around, predicated on, obsessed with, one central issue. And that is death. Specifically, the death of Logan Roy, without which no ‘succession’, no handing over of power, is possible. The story's theme is written into that initial image of a bewildered old man in steep decline, out of control, regressing towards something worse than infancy. Logan Roy's physicality dominates the entire story-world of Succession. His health, or lack of it, sets its temperature and determines the lives of all the other characters. Everyone is minutely attentive to its nuances, and utterly dependent on its whims. Sometimes they want Logan to die, or disappear into senescence. Sometimes, when they see they aren't capable of replacing him, they need him to be strong (when a urinary tract infection briefly floors him during an important negotiation, they are completely thrown - even as they jeer at him for being "piss-mad"). But however quickly Logan Roy bounces back from his mini-stroke, however tough, and decisive he can still appear, however able he remains to taunt and wound his children, he is within touching distance of death, and moving closer to it all the time. It's the issue that ties everything in the series together. All the lesser instances of loss of control echo and reflect the fact of death, and Jesse Armstrong has bravely and brilliantly built the world of Succession to reveal this reality in all its squeamish detail. Lessons and takeaways There are many worldbuilding lessons to be learned from Succession. But one of the most important, overturning the cliched advice to "write about what you know", is "how to write about what you DON'T know”. Because who really knows what it’s like to be part of a family of billionaires which runs a global media conglomerate? Certainly not the team responsible for writing Succession. Armstrong assembled a talented and diverse writers’ room for the project. They did an enormous amount of research, they discussed, elaborated and rejected ideas and plotlines, they used “wealth advisers” to fill them in on the mysterious ways of the super-wealthy – the 0.003%. But mostly they relied on the writer’s most precious resources – empathy and imagination. I'm researching a worldbuilding workshop which will help writers to create worlds that best support the stories they want to tell, and I'd love to hear your thoughts.
What worldbuilding problems have you run into? Is there anything you'd ideally like to see in a workshop that focuses on worldbuilding? Let me know what you think about Succession, and the ideas in this article!
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![]() By Deola Folarin 1] PAINTING WITH WORDS: My first tip is as much for producers and script editors who are working with screenwriters who have dyslexia and other learning difficulties, as for the scriptwriters themselves. It is important to understand that dyslexic screenwriters think differently and that their approach to scriptwriting may be unusual. Yes, at times they don't catch onto what is easily grasped by most people, but they often think more than others in terms of visual and aural imagery. And cinema is a visual and aural art! And I believe others with dyslexia tend to think of screenwriting as painting with words and dialogue as cinematic poetry. Scriptwriting for writers with disabilities is not all 'Temple of Doom' and gloom: Spielberg was dyslexic! And it is believed that Stanley Kubrick had Asperger's Syndrome. Both are accomplished screenwriters as well as directors. Because of my dyslexia, I never wanted to write. I came to writing as a frustrated director who wanted to get my own ideas down into a script that I could direct. Now I really enjoy creating scripts, especially after I doing an M.A. in screenwriting. However, even today I have terrible problems with the 2 page-outlines that sell one's work. The logical progression, the correct grammar, and spelling demanded by these documents can be a minefield when you have a learning difficulty. However, they can and should reflect a dyslexic person's strengths. Use all those stunning visuals that you see and stories that you hear every day to help producers and funders quickly grasp the filmic life in your storylines, incidents, characters, visuals. 2] THE STORY/PLOT NECKLACE Here is where a dyslexic disadvantage becomes a firm plus. Dyslexic brains often make interesting connections and see the world differently as well as more visually. So search the internet, newspapers, and magazine for those diamonds in the rough. These are the beads you can put on that string of a plot. You might find a fantastic true story but you cannot get the rights or the first half is great but the second half is dull. That's, of course, the moment where creativity comes in - taking nuggets from life and stringing them together in creative ways. And dyslexics are often particularly creative - easily seeing original connections - for example, by way of unique angles e.g. point of view, sequences, etc. - that others find more difficult. Look at any great Spielberg or Kubrick film: JAWS, SCHINDLER'S LIST, FULL METAL JACKET, THE SHINING, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. And of course, study all the great examples of original story/plotlines whether from life, novels, biographies, or wherever; whoever created them, disabled or neurotypical. Since one of a dyslexic's strengths is combining things in a unique way, it is important to study films that do this. E.g. BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (I am not aware of a gay cowboy movie before this), JOHNNY MAD DOG, (essentially LORD OF THE FLIES but so originally set with boy soldiers in an African civil war zone). LIFE OF PI (You can't get much more unique than the story of a boy on a lifeboat in the ocean stuck with a tiger!) COP LAND( where a partially deaf sheriff defends his town from corrupt cops and the mafia). Or finally, MURDER BALL, (a feature documentary about disabled wheelchair basketball players). Okay, you've thought of your unique, original, fascinating story but how do you tell it to others in two pages and a few rather formal paragraphs. I suggest taking a blank sheet of paper, drawing ten or so squares [ or circles] big enough for you to write one sentence in each. These are your beads. Then write one sentence in the first about the action/story that happens at the beginning of the film. Draw an arrow to the next box and continue to create the story necklace until you get to the end of your movie plot. I often start at the end. I like to know my climax and where I am going and then I go back to the beginning of the plot/story. This diagram is a very simple way of having a visual sketch of your story in front of you. If you do this on a large piece of paper then you can stick pictures that make comments on each story block next to it. This is hugely helpful when you are creating characters or setting the mood of the story/sequence. 3] THREE DIMENSIONAL CHARACTERS: The best book I have read on creating characters, making them striking and three-dimensional is LINDA SEGER's CREATING UNFORGETTABLE CHARACTERS. Buy it and devour it. It is brilliant and helped me hugely. There is nothing worse than an incredible story and pacey plot but with cardboard cut-outs for characters. Yes, it is difficult in a 2 pager not to have wooden characters since you don't have the visual poetry of dialogue in an outline but you can hint at the protagonist or antagonist's speech or unique mannerisms in your descriptions. Make your main characters unusual and stand out individually from the page. Your minor characters can be more stock. Remember we want to watch interesting people that hold our attention or ordinary people in interesting situations. No reader wants to read a 2 pager with dull characters. Strong characters will make your outline stand out. Shine! Make a scrapbook that you can fill with interesting people whose stories fascinate you. Create a list of questions that you would ask your character if you could speak to them. Become one of the actors in the story and interview yourself and other characters. This will really help you to make the characters more three-dimensional. Watch and study films with amazing characters in them: e.g. Melvin Udall in AS GOOD AS IT GETS, Mildred in THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI, Hannibal Lector in THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, Russell Stevens in DEEP COVER, Brandon Treena in BOYS DON'T CRY, Alonzo in TRAINING DAY. Travis Bickle in TAXI DRIVER. Ask yourself how could you have treated these characters in a 2-pager. Now you are ready to try your two-pager. Even on its two pages, don't forget to paint with your words and create aural images. Arrestingly! 4] GET YOUR WORK CHECKED: This is an obvious point but probably even the most important for us dyslexics and those who have other learning difficulties. This will help you make sure your work is clear, well-written, and engaging. This is vital as a reader for a funder, a film company, or competition will have hundreds of 2-pagers to get through. You don't want your nuggets to get buried in bad punctuation and inept grammar that is distracting for a reader. You want the reader to keep focused and excited. Make sure you get your work checked by a script editor, tutor, or another writer with strong editing, grammar awareness, and correction skills. If you have no access to anyone, do not despair there are proofreading services online, like grammarly.com or https://kindlepreneur.com/best-proofreading-service/ or https://www.writersservices.com/editorial-services/proof-reading-service/. There are also fonts which are more readable for dyslexic readers such as Dyslexie and Open Dyslexic. Although Euroscript is not a proofreading service they have amazing script feedback services and courses at Euroscript. Have fun painting with words and creating cinematic poetry. Carpe Diem! By Alizée Musson In the pre-internet age, filmmakers’ options for getting a foot in the door were limited to writing spec scripts and shooting short films for the festival circuit. Back then, reaching an audience was impossible without convincing the industry’s gatekeepers first. Nowadays, in the world of Web 2.0, reaching a worldwide audience is only a click away. Through their web series’, the following three projects gathered enough momentum to launch their creators’ big break. So, what can we learn from these success stories that may inspire you to jump on the web series bandwagon? 1. Simon's cat![]() The internet loves cats; it’s a well-known fact. Back in 2008, Simon Tofield, an animator, decided to teach himself computer animation by making a short film. Inspired by one of his four cats, Hugh, the film focused on a cat trying to get his owner’s attention in the morning. A simple idea that carried Tofield far. Without knowing it at the time, someone copied the film from his showreel and uploaded it to YouTube. By the time he realised, the video had captivated more than cat lovers around the world. Seeing the video’s popularity, Tofield decided to launch a YouTube channel to tell more of his buddies’ daily adventures - Simon’s Cat was born! Hundreds of episodes have been made since, viewed around 1 billion times on a YouTube channel with 5.5M followers. From working alone behind his computer, Tofield became a director leading a team of animators. Simon’s Cat became so viral that in 2009, a book adaptation was announced and went on to sell internationally. From then on, the web series and his feline protagonist evolved into various formats: in 2012, Simon’s Cat comic strips ran in The Daily Mirror; in 2016, Simon’s Cat partnered with Sesame Street; and in 2018 the game Simon’s Cat Dash came out. Tofield’s experience is a perfect example of how sharing your work on a platform such as YouTube could be a great way to test a concept – even one you haven’t thought of yet. 2. Shiro's StoryIn 2018, rapper and filmmaker Andrew Onwubolu (a.k.a. Rapman) released the three-part web series Shiro’s Story on YouTube: the story of a father who must dive deep into the London gang world to get his daughter back; all told through freestyle rap. Inspired by a real-life story from the South London neighbourhood of Lewisham, where Rapman grew up, the film was shot “guerilla-style” with a small cast and crew. The trilogy was an instant hit, gathering millions of views within the first hours of being released. Shiro’s Story didn’t just garner a wide audience, it also caught the attention of producers and broadcasters. Thanks to this web series, Rapman moved on to more significant projects. In 2020, he released a crime drama feature film, Blue Story, based on another YouTube series of the same name that he had released in 2014. The film was co-produced by Paramount Pictures and BBC Films and was short-listed for the BAFTAS. The web series’ success also led Rapman to get a representation deal with the entertainment agency Roc Nation. The success of Shiro’s Story is definite proof that you don’t need fancy gear and a big budget to create a hit – all you need is a good story. 3. People Just Do NothingPeople Just Do Nothing follows the lives of MC Grindah, DJ Beats and his friends running a radio station called Kurupt FM, broadcasting drum and bass music from Brentford, London. Created by Allan Mustafa, Steve Stamp, Asim Chaudhry and Hugo Chegwi, this mockumentary sitcom was first released on YouTube in 2011 as five webisodes, accumulating around 380K views. Among the audience was producer Jon Petrie who worked with a former producer of The Office, Ash Atalla. Seeing potential in the idea, Atalla arranged to produce a pilot episode for BBC3’s Comedy Feeds in 2012. BBC3 liked the concept and decided to pick up the series. Its first season was released in 2014 and ran for five seasons until 2018. In 2017 the show won a BAFTA award and a Royal Television Society award for Best Scripted Comedy. Although it is now over, the creators have been working on a feature film adaptation due to be released in August 2021: People Just Do Nothing: Big in Japan. The series’ success has also opened many doors for the creators: Allan Mustafa, Asim Chaudry and Hugo Chegwin have since respectively appeared in films and TV series, including Netflix’s Love Wedding Repeat, Wonder Woman 1984 and The Announcement, and Steve Stamp continues to write for TV, including the TV movie Peacock. While this web series did not gather millions of views, its concept stood out enough to get picked up by a significant broadcaster. You don’t need many episodes. All you need is a strong story to get noticed. So, what are you waiting for? |
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